


Baby Steps

by UnicornBliss



Series: Pentagon Oneshots [1]
Category: Pentagon (Korean Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Disability, Fluff, Jinhui, M/M, rise of hyung line ship 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 02:28:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9153628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnicornBliss/pseuds/UnicornBliss
Summary: hwitaek and Jinho are friends like any others, except, Jinho never spoke and hwitaek never judged.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [PTG_prompts](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/PTG_prompts) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> [childhood!au/disability!au] hui makes jinho his best friend and jinho has no say to it. literally.

It started around the time jinho’s parents decided to enroll him in a daycare, his initial aversion to socializing and interacting with other humans tweaked for the sake of improving his abilities. Since his birth, jinho’s parents had faced a crisis that is his disability. Being mute was one of the reasons they've become overly protective and hyper attentive of their son regardless of his apparent maturity that defied his age, giving him a unique persona that none of his sisters had possessed. 

 

Jinho would give off subtle hints of how he's against the idea of being surrounded with numerous kids his age and even though his mother’s been quite alert about it, she seemed to brush it off for many reasons including the betterment of his case. They've had a long talk with the psychologist, and whether jinho’d like it or not, joining a public daycare was only fit to enhance his communication skills. Hence, the decision was confirmed by their arrival at the nearest and most popular daycare in the city. It wasn't only huge, but the inner structure and design of the institution provided an intimidating environment for the introvert three year old who hid behind his mother's legs the entire tour. 

 

“Jinho would be assigned to our most experienced provider here, Miss Kim. His classmates are all almost of the same academic level and require special care so that he wouldn't find any difficulties blending in.” The receptionist announces before smiling down at the young boy who remained still by his mother’s side. She moves aside to expose him to his room much to his defiance and he curls back slightly, blinking twice in amusement before making out the variant figurines scattered around the rugs, the colorful walls and most of all the few kids beaming at him from their respective positions. It takes him a few minutes to respond in any sort of manner and when he does, it's a twitch of the lips and a gentle tug at his mother’s sleeve. 

 

“Jinho? Do you like it in here?”

 

He chews on his lips silently, not really required to form a response yet trusting his mom to figure exactly what's on his mind and she never disappoints, especially when she further leans down to pat his head affectionately before pressing a chaste kiss to his temples and whispering ‘I'll be here.’ . The receptionist ushers him into the room while their voices fade into the hallways, probably walking back to discuss things regarding his stay in the daycare. It doesn't affect him much, strangely, and the fact that he's left on his own in between a number of strangers who look about his size takes him off guard but never to the point of regretting his choice. 

 

The first few steps are difficult to take, not in the physical literal way but the one where he's supposed to create relations with those around him. He wouldn't trade his anti-socialism for anyone and the way others eye him while he moves by himself irks him a little, though in vain. He can feel it, the frustration building up slowly as time passes at an agonizing pace. The colors on his desk suddenly aren't as interesting as they'd appeared at first when his eyes were busy roaming all over the area the moment he stepped in. He wanders distractedly, watching the few kids who were playing enthusiastically a while ago now nap on the pillows thrown over the cotton rugs, their toys laying lifelessly at their sides. 

 

It's quiet, and Jinho loves tranquility unless it's in this case, lonely. He doesn't get the time to wallow in his self induced sorrow when his head falls onto the coloring books, sleep getting the best out of him. 

 

\--

 

When his eyes flutter open, jinho’s attention is focused on pearly teeth and sparkly, crescented eyes peering at him closely. He stares back with puffy eyes and dried drool hanging from his lips while the boy inspected him like how they do to rare animals found in a jungle. Jinho remains inert nonetheless, completely drawn into the vibrance emanating from his smile. If sunlight was a person, this boy would be it. 

 

“Good afternoon” he chirps, tiny wrinkles forming due to the expanse of his grin. Jinho pokes his tongue out to lick his lips quickly before covering them in shame, realizing he was drooling all along. The boy doesn't seem to mind, not like other kids never drooled or anything but Jinho understood that the other must be a nice person and according to the mute three year old, good first impressions are always important. 

 

“I'm hwitaek.” He enunciates while bringing his hand out, and not sparing Jinho another second to rethink it before holding their hands together and giggling happily. “friends!!”

 

That's how it starts for Jinho, life in the daycare and everything else aside from being a normal voiceless kid with limited interests. 

 

\--

 

Aside from his own parents, jinho’s new friend hwitaek looks after him as if he'd adopted him by some way or another. Everyone including their nannies and special provider found it endearing especially when Jinho himself couldn't find it in him to object on any of the boy’s sentiments that ranged from feeding him to petting his head while he doze off to sleep. It came by naturally, and no matter how much he'd struggled to explain why or how, he always ended up giving in anyways. There was something about the way hwitaek would look at him with nothing but goodness in his eyes, never once questioning his silence or the way he'd deal with situations differently, almost weirdly. It was also never a give and take, for hwitaek gave so much until Jinho’s heart would threaten to break its fragile walls. Eventually they did fall, though adamantly, and the thought of hwitaek being by his side was the only thing leading him on towards opening up. 

 

\--

Jinho grows fond of hwitaek to the point where they're attached by the hip, sharing every little activity together like they've been in the same womb (even though they practically seemed like twins with the way Jinho mimicked every single move his friend does) 

 

Hwitaek is humming to a kindergarten song when Miss Kim called for him from her seat at the far end of the room. He whips his head around immediately, fingers halting their drumming movements on jinho’s fists that enclose around crayons and instead leaving his skin as he walks up towards her. Jinho returns back to scribbling on the sheets of paper offered to him, vaguely catching on their voices while they conversed amongst the kids’ loud cries of excitement. He's tracing a definite line, one that resembled the letters he’d learned yesterday when suddenly hwitaek’s presence alarms him. He looks up to find him standing there wordlessly, fighting the brimming tears in his eyes and clenching his fists tightly. Jinho’s never felt this bothered since the last time his parents fought because of his disability and it breaks his little heart to see his only friend, his dear partner, cry silently while staring at Jinho, implying that he was somehow the reason. 

 

He wants to speak, maybe scream, but it all accumulates in his chest fruitlessly. He can only stare back helplessly while Miss Kim eyed them from her place, watching hwitaek collect his stuff and sit by the end of the room on his own as if punished. Jinho’s fingers freeze in their place. He tries to approach his friend but the dejected look he receives stops him and he remains seated, tugging at his sleeves repeatedly while counting from one to ten, wishing it would distract him. Hwitaek glances at him again before looking away sadly and in all his life Jinho had never felt so disappointed in himself for an unknown reason.

 

Perhaps that's how it is. He was a mere disappointment to everyone. 

 

\--

 

Next days hwitaek doesn't show up to class, instead he appears with other kids from other classes and it seems like Miss Kim had decided to move him there despite how obviously attached they are. Whether it was her initial plan or a change of plans, neither seemed to prefer her decision. Jinho’s time in the daycare alternate from napping to staring at the windows aimlessly, never once sparing the kids around him any attention and even though he knew he had to at some point, it just never happened. He blames it on himself. At this mere age, the boy knew he wasn't easily loved and receiving love from the one person whom he found appealing had meant so much to him. Now that he's gone, Jinho wants to go back to hiding behind his mother’s legs again and never coming out. 

 

It was counter effective unlike what the teachers had assumed. Jinho’s mother visits by the second week when her son shows no signs of improvement since the new change and they discuss for almost an hour, Jinho standing by the door timidly waiting for his mom to come out with good news. He hopes she's happy with him. 

 

When she does come out at last, she's wearing a soft gentle smile while he stares at her neutrally. 

 

“We’re taking you to a kindergarten honey, you're finally a student.”

 

He doesn't entirely understand her motives but when hwitaek emerges from the hallway with a middle aged woman at his side, most probably his mother, his eyes widen slightly. 

 

“Hwitaek’s mom and I think you two will take good care of each other while in school.”

 

And that's when it clicks. He stares at his friend who smiles at him giddily, clutching his mom’s hand and pulling her towards them. He can't hide his excitement either and the moment they become only a few inches apart he's running at him. Nothing could stop him now. 

 

\--

 

“Did you miss me?”

 

Five year old hwitaek smiles knowingly upon meeting Jinho after a long absence from school. Jinho blinks at him silently, tugging at the hem of his shirt in hesitance before he nods, hair bouncing with every bob. His friend chuckles, beaming brightly at him before pulling them closer into a hug. 

 

“I'll never leave you, don't worry”

 

Jinho knows, because the pair of skinny firm arms around him tighten impossibly like a safe haven for him to settle in, perhaps forever. A five year old’s forever at least.

**Author's Note:**

> This is for reg, Suhana, chris(?) , and everyone who hyped the hyung line ship enough for me type this down. First post in 2017 happy jinhuiful year pentafam~


End file.
